The Town That Takes All
by Chirugal
Summary: Knowledge of the SH ‘verse not needed. When Gibbs goes AWOL, an analysis of a message on his answering machine reveals the impossible. Now the team is heading after him, to the ghost town of Silent Hill, to rescue him from destruction...
1. An Unwelcome Puzzle

**Title**: The Town That Takes All**  
Rating**: T**  
Spoilers**: NCIS' _Hiatus_ arc. Nothing specific for Silent Hill.**  
Summary**: Knowledge of the SH 'verse not needed to understand the fic. When Gibbs goes AWOL, an analysis of a message on his answering machine reveals the impossible. Now the team is heading after him, to the Maine ghost town of Silent Hill, to rescue him from destruction...

**Author's Note**: Takes place a couple of months after Gibbs gets back from Mexico. Started as a drabble meme response for Cassy. This is going to be expanded into a multi-chaptered fic for those who have no idea what Silent Hill is, you don't need to. Long story short: creepy, foggy ghost-town full of supernatural occurrances. It's similar to Centralia, Pennsylvania: the town that had to be abandoned in the 60s after underground mine fires began burning (and are still burning). Wikipedia is your friend. ;)

* * *

**Abby**

"Hey, Director." I look up from my electron microscope, smiling wearily. "What's up?"

When McGee, Ziva, Tony and Ducky all file in behind Jenny, my brain spots the missing piece in our puzzle and kicks into overdrive. "Did something happen to Gibbs? Did he go back to Mexico? Tell me he didn't go back to Mexico!"

"He didn't show up this morning, and we can't reach him." Jenny looks grim. "Tony and Ziva just got back from his place, and all of his stuff's still there. I don't think he's gone back, Abby."

I can't help but sigh with relief – it's only been a couple of months since he was reinstated, and a part of me is still scared he might decide he liked it better in Mexico. "Okay. Well… good."

Tony steps forward, his usual laid-back demeanour nowhere to be seen. "There's a message on his answering machine that we can't make sense of, though. Too much static."

I bite my lip, stretching out a hand to take the tape he offers. "I'll clean up the audio. Did you try to trace his cell?"

"Yeah," McGee answers, joining me in front of the computer. "He's a few miles outside Bangor, Maine."

"_Maine?!_" Aside from the distance from DC, and the fact that Gibbs has never once mentioned ties to that state, something else sets an alarm bell ringing in my mind. "But that makes no sense! Why would he go to Maine?"

"We're hoping that tape can tell us," Tony says, running a hand through his hair. "It's creepy, Abbs. Really creepy."

I locate the answering machine I use to play back messages from tapes brought in for evidence and set it up, glancing over at Ducky, the one who's known him the longest. "He's never said anything about Maine to you?"

He shakes his head, his brow furrowed. "Not that I recall."

"Oh my god, oh my god… Ziva, try to call him again?" I know it's stupid, but for Gibbs to take off without telling me is unheard of. He wouldn't. He knows I'd freak out.

A moment's silence passes while Ziva tries his cell, but then she shakes her head. "It is switched on, but he is not answering. We have left voicemail messages, but…"

Slipping the tape into the recorder, I hold up my hand, and she trails off. When I press the play button, the first message begins to play. "Probie!" Mike Franks' voice is instantly recognisable. "Gimme a call when you get the time. Nothin' urgent, just curious how you're readjustin' to life north of the border. Later..."

"Has anyone called him?" Jenny wants to know.

"I did," Ziva says. "He has not heard from Gibbs in a few weeks."

The second message on the tape begins, and the quiet hiss becomes the harsh, fluctuating static of white noise, like a de-tuned radio. Then, in between crackles, I hear faint voices: one high and reedy, like a child's; the other more adult, definitely female. I can't distinguish any words, only a few syllables here and there.

…_eth-… elp-… he-… pl-… … … i-… ill-… hur-… ad-… sca- … an-… e! Pl-…_

As the tape screeches into high, grating feedback, then goes silent, a full-on shiver chases down my spine. Whatever this is, I don't think it can be good. It doesn't just sound like a message gone wrong; it's not like any recording error I've ever heard, and there are a few frequencies in there that I've never heard in bad reception calls.

"Give me a couple of hours to work on this," I say to Director Shepard, trying to get a hold on myself. "It seems familiar somehow, but I can't remember… I'll call you when I have something."

Ducky touches my arm, seeming concerned. "Are you all right, my dear? You've gone white as a sheet."

I'm not exactly sure about the answer to that question, myself, but I force myself to nod. "Yeah. Just my imagination running away with me. I'm fine."

He doesn't seem convinced, but he drops the subject, patting my shoulder before joining the others as they file out of the lab. "Keep us updated."

"Yeah," I answer distractedly, staring down at the tape in my hands. Why does this seem familiar to me? Where have I read about it, and why does it make me want to crawl under my desk and hide?

* * *

An hour or so later, I'm still not able to make out the words on the tape. None of the logical methods have worked, and in frustration, I've started to isolate random frequencies in order to make sense of them. Aside from one noise that sounds like a wounded animal whimpering, it's all been random crackles and buzzing that I should have been able to filter out, no problem.

It's an unwelcome puzzle, and I don't like it. Not when Gibbs is hundreds of miles away, heading somewhere that, instinctively, I know is bad.

I have his GPS trace up on my plasma; he's driving up toward Millinocket, ME and still not answering his cell. Why would he go there? Why wouldn't he tell us? And why can't I get this damn audio file to obey the laws of electronics?

Aggravated, I hit a few random keys on my keyboard, dragging the mouse cursor over the program window at random. Unbelievably, the white noise recedes, and I forget to breathe as the audio clears; not entirely, but enough for me to hear the message beneath.

_Jethro! Oh, god, help us… Find us, help us, please… We're in a town, a ghost town; the sign said 'Silent Hill'. They're hurting us–_

The woman's voice is cut off abruptly with a cry of pain, and the voice of a little girl in tears replaces it. _Daddy, I'm scared! It's coming, and it hurts, and Mommy's bleeding! Please, come and get-_

The message ends there.

Impossible. Totally impossible. There's only one person who would call Gibbs 'Daddy', and she's been dead since 1991. So has her 'Mommy'.

Wait… _Silent Hill_?!

I grab the phone with numb fingers, already running a Google search on the town. "McGee! We have a big problem. Gibbs is heading for Silent Hill, Maine, because he got a message from Shannon and Kelly!"

There's a moment of silence on the line, and then McGee says slowly, "Uhhh… Abby, I think you need to lay off the Caf-Pow!."

* * *

**More coming soon!**


	2. Called

**Author's Note**: It's been FOREVER since I updated this... but my Xbox just broke and I wasn't feeling especially like writing romance. So I'm going one step further towards angsty horror, instead. XD Thank you to the NCIS folks who are reading this even though they have no idea about Silent Hill. I'm trying to make it accessible to most people. Cybil Bennett is a Silent Hill character, but she's only there for expo reasons really. She won't be around much.

* * *

**Abby**

Why is it that whenever I come out with something that's a little strange, they always blame the damn Caf-Pow! Okay, so this time I don't blame McGee for doubting me, but seriously – I've only had one so far, today! I was waiting for Gibbs to come and give me my fix… oh, god. Gibbs…

Everyone's clustered around my computer again, and every one of them is wearing a sceptical expression. I love being eccentric, but sometimes, it's a curse.

"Think, McGee! Remember that night we were waiting for that DNA to come through, and we just sat and looked up weird stuff on the internet for like three hours?"

"Yeah, but Abby, most of that stuff is made up by weirdoes looking for attention."

I play the sound file again, letting it speak for itself. It starts out clear, but degrades into static and feedback within the first five seconds. This time, it doesn't even get as far as the words 'Silent Hill', and I scowl at the monitor in disbelief. "This isn't even possible! I haven't changed any of the settings. The audio should still be totally clear!"

"Abbs, did you hit your head or something?" Tony asks quietly.

"No!" This is so frustrating! "Look. Gibbs is driving through Maine right now. He has no ties to it that we know of. I heard the voice in this recording say 'Silent Hill', which is in Toluca County, _Maine_. And I heard a child's voice after the woman's, calling Gibbs 'Daddy'. What other conclusion am I supposed to come to?"

"Maybe Gibbs has an illegitimate child in Maine," Ziva offers.

"That we never heard about. That Gibbs would keep quiet about, even though he obviously loves children and misses Kelly like hell."

That's one point that no one can argue with. While they're quiet, I pull up one of the pages about Silent Hill, reading aloud, "_Silent Hill is a sleepy resort town on the shores of Toluca Lake. To most, it's a vacation getaway or a place to retire to, but there are an increasing number of reports of people heading out there and never returning. Most cell phone calls to the disappeared are unsuccessful, but those that are picked up are filled with static, feedback, disjointed voices and otherworldly sounds._"

"Abigail," Ducky begins, but I interrupt by reverting the sound file back to its original state, then hitting the play button, filling the air with the sounds the website describes.

Then I read the worst part.

"_Most of the disappeared are male, and have been through some kind of trauma, such as war, the untimely death of a loved one, or tragic events for which the disappeared feels a large degree of guilt._ That's Gibbs, all over. He was a Marine; he lost Shannon and Kelly while he was out in Desert Storm; he lost his memory of the last fifteen years just a few months ago. I think the grief he felt when he thought they'd only just died called to whatever the town wants, and it summoned him."

Director Shepard touches my shoulder. "Abby, I think you should take the rest of the day off. You're clearly not feeling well."

"With all due respect, Director, I was planning to take the rest of the week anyway. I don't care if you're coming with me," I tell her, and all of them. "I'm going after Gibbs, and if you won't back me up, I'm taking some of the weapons from the shooting range and medical supplies from the sickroom and autopsy, and I'm going alone."

I'm scared. But I'm more scared for Gibbs than I am for me right now.

* * *

**Gibbs**

I'm acting like a crazy person, but there's no other choice. Shannon and Kelly are alive; there's no doubt about it. Their voices are wild, terrified, but unmistakable.

Only trouble is, no one would believe me if I told them. I could get my home video tapes and the voicemail recording to Abby for a voice comparison, but that would take precious time. My gut already knows the truth, and I don't wanna put up with my team's psychoanalysis and wait for the evidence, not while my girls are hurting.

I caught a flight out here as soon as I could, and hired a rental car in Bangor for the drive out to Toluca County. Silent Hill barely registers on any map, and I have to stop by a town named Brahms in order to get directions.

The convenience store clerks exchange uneasy looks when I ask them, but neither seems in a mood to gossip. The local police station is just across the street, though, and I take a quick detour there.

The on-duty policewoman is maybe five years younger than I am, and her blonde hair is shot with grey. "What can I do for you, sir?"

I flash my badge, introducing myself. "Looking to get out to Silent Hill. Anything I should know?"

The woman's lips tighten, and she sits forward. "Listen, federal agent or not, I wouldn't go out there if I were you. Nothing good comes out of Silent Hill."

"It's just a tourist town, right?" My gut – and her expression – tells me otherwise.

"You won't believe the things I can tell you about that place. I haven't been there for thirteen years, and that's the way I wanna keep it. I suggest you steer clear."

"Can't do that, Officer…"

She gets to her feet and beckons me into the side room, talking as she moves. "Sergeant Cybil Bennett. Can you tell me why you're pushing to go over there?"

I keep it simple, taking the seat she offers, but declining the offer of coffee. If it's from a town police station, it's not worth drinking. "Abducted Marine wife and child. Had communication from them that they're being held there, but the call was interrupted."

Her smile twists knowingly. "Let me guess. _Your_ wife and child."

I shake my head. "Irrelevant. Tell me what you know."

"Like I said, you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

There's something in the way she says the words that makes me think I can level with her. "My wife and daughter have been dead since ninety-one. Still think I won't believe you?"

Sergeant Bennett sighs, running her fingers through her cropped hair. "Okay, now I'm going to _strongly_ suggest you steer clear, since you've obviously been called."

"Called." Interesting way of putting it.

She speaks to the air over my shoulder, reciting the words emotionlessly. "Nineteen years ago, I was just starting out in the force. I was sent out to Silent Hill to check why we'd lost communication with their local police department, and when I got there, the town was deserted. Shops, offices, the hospital, the churches, the school… all empty. Except for two people."

She takes a sip of her coffee, grimaces and sets it aside. "Guy and his daughter, in town on vacation. On the way in, the guy, Harry, crashed his car and passed out. He came to, and his daughter was gone. When I found him, he was looking for her. We crossed paths a few times, and each time, he was talking crazier and crazier. Monsters. Darkness. An 'Otherworld'."

It sounds like a tale Abby would come up with. I'm half inclined to get up and head out on my way, but I curb the impulse at the mention of a lost little girl. _Kelly… _"He ever find his daughter?"

She gives a strangled laugh. "In a way, I guess. I never really understood it. Maybe there were some weird drugs in the air. I started seeing her myself, in the distance. Vanishing into the fog. Maybe she was there; maybe she wasn't.

"But eventually, I saw Harry's monsters for myself. Some looked human… vaguely. Most didn't."

I give up on trying to understand her, moving the conversation along. "That was years ago. Anything since?"

Sergeant Bennett nods. "Folks stop by here, ask the way to Silent Hill, and are never heard of again. _Then_ we get family members showing up, asking if we've seen them, but if there've been successful instances of missing people found after going there, I've never heard about them."

And now I'm about to do the same thing. "You ever been back there?"

She nods slowly. "A couple of times. It took me years to get up the courage. The first time I went, it was just your regular small town. Had people living there, and everything. The second time… the fog was back. I lost my radio signal. And before I crossed into Silent Hill proper, I turned back."

Her gaze challenges me to call her superstitious. "That was thirteen years ago. I haven't been over that way since, no matter how many people looking for dead wives or missing kids stop by Brahms to ask for directions."

"I can handle myself," I tell her, getting to my feet. I need to get going.

With a sad smile, she follows me out to the station's small foyer. "More than most of the others, maybe. Still, I'd recommend taking some heavier artillery out there than just your service weapon."

"There a place I can pick something up around here?" It doesn't hurt to be prepared. _They're hurting us…_

"Sure is. Try Pete's place, a block over. And, Agent Gibbs? Watch your back. I hope you find what you're looking for out there, but there's no way I'm heading up the rescue mission."

Thirty minutes later, with a hunting rifle and a couple of boxes of ammo stashed in the trunk, I take the turning the convenience store clerk directed me to. As I drive, a light mist descends, then thickens minute by minute, until I can barely see the road ahead.

_The second time… the fog was back._

Remembering Sergeant Bennett's words, I reach out and flick on the radio, cycling through a few channels to try and find a weather report. The local stations are all playing songs right now, but as I drive further they begin to fade into the same kind of static that played on my voicemail just before Shannon's message.

As feedback begins to squeal, I hit the power button on the radio, unnerved. Maybe if McGee was here, he could come up with a logical explanation, but Sergeant Bennett's warning has me spooked. Not that I'd ever admit it to my team.

A couple of minutes later, I make out a sign through the dense fog.

_Welcome to Silent Hill._

I get the feeling I'm not gonna feel too welcome.


	3. A Voice in the Fog

**Author's Note**: After spending ages reading the Silent Hill Wiki earlier, I decided to work on this some more. It should be pretty obvious by now that I'm going with game canon rather than movie canon. And once I get the gang into Silent Hill with Gibbs, that's when the scary's really gonna start. If I can pull it off, anyway. :D

Thanks again for the feedback, and for reading along if you have no idea about Silent Hill's canon. :)

* * *

**Gibbs**

I check the magazine of my SIG Sauer before I get out of the car. Thirteen rounds, plus one in the chamber, and a couple of spare clips in the glove compartment. I'm hoping I won't need them.

Leaving the rifle behind for now, I set off on recon.

I still haven't come to any conclusions as to how this is possible. After fifteen years, Kelly would be twenty-three this year – speaking in an adult's voice, not her eight-year-old's tone. Not to mention that Mike Franks made certain of the identities of the bodies. He brought Joanne, Shannon's mother, in to ID them, while I lay in a coma in Kuwait.

The funeral was closed-casket, and I didn't ask to see the remains. I'd seen enough death as a Marine. Maybe it was cowardly, but I couldn't bring myself to look at my wife's and daughter's wrecked bodies.

In all this time, though, I've never doubted that they're dead. Not until last night's phone call. However illogical it might seem that Kelly still sounds like a child… I can't turn my back on this.

The town is as silent as its name, the thick fog muffling any distant sounds. The only sounds I can hear are the ones I make, and I minimise those, unsure who I might come across.

The phone call didn't mention any particular part of Silent Hill, but it's a ghost town, all right. Guess that cuts down on the possibilities for collateral damage, if I do need to start firing.

I came into town on Nathan Avenue, which is eerily deserted. There's a park on my right, and a little way up, a motel on my left. I choose to investigate the motel, but despite a few cars parked in the lot, the reception building is devoid of life.

Something tells me that coming back later won't solve the problem, but it's good to know I can hole up in one of the rooms if I force its lock.

Heading down Neely Street, I take stock of my surroundings. Most of the stores are shuttered, and some of the buildings have fallen into disrepair. It still has that small-town feel, though – bigger than Stillwater, where I grew up, but reminiscent of the place in some ways.

I keep my eyes peeled, orienting myself as best I can by committing the store names to memory. Lucky Jade Restaurant. Neely's Bar. Happy Burger. _Everywhere has a damn Happy Burger._

If they – whoever _they_ are – already know I'm here, all they have to do is keep Shannon and Kelly quiet while I walk past, oblivious. It could take me weeks to explore everywhere. I need some kind of indication of where to look.

Shannon mentioned the sign I drove past, but there could be identical signs on every road leading into town. I don't even have a local map – that seems like a place to start.

Where?

Tourist information bureaus, gas stations, motel rooms.

As I backtrack through the fog, I hear a faint voice and freeze in my tracks, listening.

Nothing. I must be really cracking up-

"Daddy!" It's faint, but it's Kelly. Even though that's impossible. Even though she should have grown up, if she was ever still alive to begin with.

I don't give a damn.

Spinning, trying to pinpoint her location, I call out for her. "Kel! Kelly?"

There – a movement in my peripheral vision. A girl's figure, her back turned. Long, wavy brown hair tamed by long braids, and a white shirt under the denim overalls we'd make her wear to play in the dirt in the backyard.

Seeing the distant figure brings a lump to my throat and tears to my eyes, and when I blink to clear my vision, there's nothing there.

Whispering my daughter's name, I run toward the alleyway she must have disappeared into.

* * *

**Tony**

Abby's gone completely batshit crazy. I know it, Ziva knows it, Ducky and McGee don't wanna admit it. But she's gone nuts.

On Jenny's orders, we're accompanying her up to Maine anyway. Something about keeping an eye on one of our most valuable scientific resources. Ducky's tagging along for medical reasons – she hasn't let him examine her yet, and he's humouring her rather than having us pin her down.

If I'm honest, we're only letting her take the reins because we wanna know what the story is with Gibbs. Losing him to early retirement a few months ago hurt all of us, and we don't wanna lose him again.

He still calls me 'Stan' and Ziva 'Kate' every now and again, even though he checks out fine physically. I don't wanna ask Ducky about his psych exam.

We leave Bangor behind, following the route Gibbs took, according to the GPS signal Abby's tracking. With Ziva's driving, we're up the I-95 in no time at all, stopping in East Millinocket for a bite to eat before continuing on.

The whole way, Ducky regales us with stories of famous people from Maine, including the woman who made mental asylums more humanitarian, and the guy who invented the microwave oven. Don't know what I'd do if it wasn't for _him_.

All I know is, there's something really Stephen King about what Abby's saying. Wonder if _he's_ ever been to Silent Hill.


	4. Inhuman

**Author's Note**: Starting to get into the horror parts by the end of this chapter. I can't wait to get them all into Silent Hill and seeing scary things!

* * *

**Ducky**

I'm not sure who I'm more concerned about at the moment: Jethro, or Abby. I often worry about the long-term effects of Jethro's most recent coma, and this sudden, unexplained trip to a state he has no ties to seems uncharacteristic, at best.

On the other hand, Abby seems to be taking his disappearance particularly hard. She felt his loss keenly during the four months he was gone, and she seems to have slipped into a fantastical delusion upon hearing about this new absence.

Trying to make her see that will only result in conflict, and knowing Abby the way I do, she won't be swayed until the hard evidence is presented to her. So I humour her, and the others follow my lead, some more reluctantly than others. I expect Ziva to be the first one to snap, and it shouldn't take long.

We arrive in a small town named Brahms and stop for a bathroom break at the tiny gas station. The GPS signal Abby has been tracking seems to have disappeared, and she and McGee bicker over the meaning of that while I walk a short distance down the main street, stretching my legs.

"Lotta strangers headed through Brahms today."

There's a middle-aged woman leaning against the lamppost in front of the church, smoking a cigarette. I approach her, hoping for information. "Has a man come through here, alone?"

"Good lookin' fella, grey hair, doesn't like to smile?" Seeing the recognition on my face, she nods. "Stopped in and had a chat with Sergeant Bennett, bought himself a rifle, then headed out the west road. Funny how many people do that."

"Really? Thank you. That's very helpful."

She stubs out the cigarette and exhales a lungful of smoke. I hold my breath, curbing the urge to turn my head to avoid the fumes. Filthy habit.

"No problem. My cafe's right across the street. Come grab some food or beer if you're sticking around."

I make my excuses and return to the car, where Ziva's body language suggests that an argument is imminent. I clear my throat, and all eyes turn to me. "There's a witness up the street who saw Jethro in town."

* * *

**Abby**

Sergeant Cybil Bennett has the look of someone who knows too much. I've seen it before, in some of the agents I've worked with, and I recognise it right away. "Silent Hill, huh?"

Ignoring Ziva's frosty presence behind me, I say, "Yeah. We're looking for a friend of ours."

"They always are," she mutters.

"We heard he stopped in to see you earlier today." That's Ducky, who's been the most supportive one on the trip so far... even though he's just humouring me. "After that, he bought a weapon and left, is that correct?"

Bought a weapon? Thank god – he's not just going in there with his SIG. That makes me feel a little better.

Sergeant Bennett looks surprised now. "You're looking for Agent Gibbs? Wow, that was fast." At our confused expressions, she elaborates, "It usually takes a few days for loved ones to get worried enough to come out here."

"As soon as I heard he was going to Silent Hill, I had to come. There's something wrong with that town, I just know it."

Sergeant Bennett looks... relieved, almost. I guess she gets more sceptics through here than believers. "Then I don't have to tell you he's headed for hell."

"Are you the one who updates the websites?" McGee asks; innocuously enough, but I can tell he's trying to make me see that all the rumours are just spread by one crazy policewoman.

"I'm one of them."

I shoot McGee a significant look, and he sighs, shutting up. I turn back to Bennett. "Did he say why he was going there?"

"Looking for his dead wife and daughter, he said. Had a call from them. That's how the town gets you... it lures you out with the impossible, and then doesn't let go."

"The call was on his answering machine. I'm a forensic scientist, and I analysed it, and I managed to get the message to play. Only for me, though. When I called the rest of them to hear it, it went back to static."

Sergeant Bennett rubs her eyes wearily. "Be careful. It sounds like the town wants you, too. I don't suppose I can convince you to turn around? Save yourselves?"

Abruptly, Ziva throws up her hands and leaves the room, muttering something in Hebrew. After a second, Tony goes after her. Good – I didn't need the biggest Doubting Thomases in here, anyway. "No. We're going after him."

Bennett nods, tension radiating from her. "I can't say I think much of your chances. When you get there, one of two things'll happen. One is that the town will look completely normal, but no one will have seen Agent Gibbs coming or going. The other..."

"The fog?" I've read about it. People driving into Silent Hill in the fog... they don't drive out again.

I could swear I see Bennett shudder. "The fog."

I turn to Ducky and McGee. "I could drive you guys to the last town we hit, and we could get another rental. You could stay nearby while I head out there... it might give us more of a chance if we're divided?"

"How's your marksmanship?" Sergeant Bennett interjects.

"Theoretically, fine. But I've only ever shot at targets and dummies. I don't know if I could shoot something that was alive."

"You're not going alone, Abby." That's McGee. Always overprotective.

"We're all in this together, my dear." Ducky lays a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

Neither of them believes yet, but if things go like Sergeant Bennett says... they will.

* * *

**Gibbs**

I've been wandering down foggy alleyways and streets for the past thirty minutes, checking backyards and looking through the windows of parked cars as I go. I haven't seen Kelly since that first, fleeting glimpse. Is she wandering alone, or is someone with her? Did she escape whatever happened while she was on the phone?

_It hurts, and Mommy's bleeding..._

"Shannon." The grief is nothing new, but it seems sharper now that I've heard their voices, seen Kelly disappearing into the fog. I need to find them.

From a little further down the street, I hear a sound – something between a shuffle and a scrape. Raising my SIG, I move with caution in the direction of the noise.

Something crawls out of a nearby driveway – humanoid in shape, and moving on its belly, the way I used to crawl on my elbows through undergrowth as a Marine sniper. There's something inhuman about the way it moves, though – sinuous and unnerving.

I level my weapon at it as it turns my way. A choked-off screech splits the air, as if it recognises me, though the face is all slick, bruise-mottled skin with no mouth to speak of. Whatever it is, it hasn't been human for a long time, if it ever was at all.

It somehow surges to its feet, though its arms seem pinned to its body by the straitjacket of skin around its torso.

I want to turn and run; adrenaline sets my heart pounding and my stomach churning, and I take an instinctive step back, and then another. I should get the hell out of here, but god knows how fast this thing moves when provoked.

It's stumbling forward at a slow lurch, gurgling and retching, and before I can move, a stream of foul-smelling brown liquid arcs from its chest.

* * *

**Author's Note**: For Silent Hill geeks, the monster Gibbs encounters is pretty much the Lying Figure/Patient Demon/Straitjacket/whatever you want to call it, from Silent Hill 2... only it moves in more of a commando crawl, to fit in better with Gibbs' subconscious rather than James'. You can tell I'm thinking about this too much, huh? I have more weird and wonderful ones to come!**  
**


End file.
